Daycycles
Hourly chart The following chart delineates the three daycycles used on The Land, and equates each Landian hour with the corresponding number and cycle of hours as they are reckoned on Earth (which uses two daycyles rather than three). The name of each hour on the Land begins with an ordinal for the cycle, followed by a numeral for the hour within that cycle, so that midnight is designated "First One." The final hour of the day is "Third Eight." The names of all hours can also be represented symbolically. For example, First One would be 1:1 and Third Eight would be 3:8. Hours A "day" is the time it takes The Land to make one complete rotation on its axis, turning in an easterly direction. Because of this rotation, which is not noticeable to those standing on the planet, the sun, which is actually stationary in relation to the planet, appears to revolve around the Land in a westerly direction. It is therefore said that the sun "rises in the east" and "sets in the west." Ever since the time of Connor and Brigid, Landians have found it useful to measure the passage of time throughout a day, for various purposes. Therefore, each day is broken down into 24 regularly spaced units of time called hours. (Each hour is further broken down into 100 centhours, which are themselves broken down into 36 seconds each.) The choice of breaking the day into twenty-four hours is based on the same time measurement system used on Earth (which Connor and Brigid learned about from God). It seems that Earth's clocks have 12 hours each, so there are two cycles (referred to as "AM" and "PM") per day (though in certain circumstances they may use 24 hour time). Connor and Brigid, on the other hand, decided it would be preferable to have three daycycles on the Land, consisting of 8 hours each. The first cycle (sometimes called the "sleep cycle") begins at First One, or "midnight" (which on Earth is 12 AM, a decidedly odd designation for the first hour of the day). It ends with First Eight. This cycle includes the latter part of the night, when most people are sleeping, and ends roughly at the start of the period called "morning," when most people wake up. The second cycle (sometimes called the "work cycle") runs from "Second One" through "Second Eight." The first half of this cycle is called morning. Second Five, or 12 PM on Earth, is the start of their second 12-hour cycle, also referred to as "noon." (It has never been explained to Landians why Terran cycles both start with 12 rather than 1.) The terms "noon" and "midnight" were both borrowed from Earth by Landians (see Times of day). The second half of the Land's second cycle is called the "afternoon." The third cycle (sometimes called the "play cycle") runs from "Third One" through "Third Eight." The first half of the third cycle may be called late afternoon. This leads into early evening, the exact start of which is open to debate. It is generally considered evening at whatever time one gets out of work (for a standard shift, of course, though there are those who work different hours). Most shifts end anywhere from Third One to Third Three. The latter part of the third cycle is the start of night. Centhours and seconds On Earth, hours are divided into "minutes," each of which is one sixtieth of an hour. By contrast, Landian hours are divided into "centhours," each of which is one hundredth of an hour. (If one wished to determine the number of Terran minutes at a specific time, given Landian centhours, one could divide 60 by 100 and multiply by the number of centhours. Conversely, one could divide 100 by 60 and multiply by the number of minutes to determine centhours.) The exact time of day on the Land can be stated by adding "and (centhours)" to the spoken expression of the hour. For example, the halfway point between First One and First Two would be "First One and Fifty," which can also be written as 1:1:50. Earth minutes are divided into 60 seconds. The reason for hours and minutes each being divided into 60 parts (a seemingly random number) is another detail which has, apparently, never been explained by spirits. However, at some point in the Land's history, it was realized that there might be situations in which it was important to specify a unit of time smaller than centhours. It is not certain when exactly this first began, or who started it (it may have once again been Connor and Brigid, or it may not have happened until long after their deaths). But it did seem that Earth seconds would be a good timespan to use. Until then (and also since then, in instances where accuracy isn't important), people had always just used the word "moment" which was vaguely defined at best, though it was fairly close to the concept that was being sought. When... whoever it was... decided that a more accurate measurement was needed, they decided that, as with larger time measurements such as years, days, and hours, it might prove apt to use the same units as on Earth. There are 3600 seconds in an hour on Earth, so it was decided to likewise divide Landian hours into 3600 seconds. However, it makes more sense for seconds' immediate superior unit to be the one divided into smaller units. It was, of course, a simple enough calculation to find that Each centhour must then be comprised of 36 seconds. It is only rare situations that call for the statement of exact seconds, but in such situations the time would be stated as, for example, "First One and Fifty, plus twenty-five," which could be written as 1:1:50:25. Times of day The day can be broken down into two basic time periods, referred to as "day" and "night" (though the former can be confusing, since it also refers to the entire 24-hour period). The two parts of the day can also be referred to as "daytime" and "nighttime," to avoid confusion. Day can also be referred to as "daylight hours." (Creatures which are active during the day and sleep at night are referred to as "diurnal," while those which are active at night and sleep during the day are called "nocturnal.") Both daytime and nighttime can be further divided into a number of more specific time periods: *'Dawn': The start of First Twilight, when the sun is still below the horizon, but weak light has begun to illuminate the surroundings. In First Village, dawn typically occurs about halfway through the hour of First Seven, though this (and all other times of day) may occur at different times by the clock, depending on the time of year, as well as on how far east or west the observer is standing. However, there has been talk in recent years of establishing time zones, to reconcile the latter discrepancy between far-flung villages. *'First Twilight': The period between dawn and sunrise. (Creatures which are most active during twilight- whether at dawn or dusk- are referred to as "crepuscular.") *'Sunrise': The instant that the upper edge of the sun becomes visible above the horizon in the east. This typically occurs around First Eight, in First Village. Sunrise is generally considered the start of the daytime period. *'Morning': The period between sunrise and noon. (The term may commonly be used to refer to the entire time between dawn and noon.) *'Noon': The time at which the sun is at its highest point in the sky, directly overhead. In First Village, this occurs around Second Five. (It is traditional to use the word "noon" to refer specifically to this hour of the day in any village of the Land, regardless of where the sun actually is in the sky at the time.) From midnight til noon, the planet's rotation brings First Village closer to the sun; after this point, it carries the village farther away. *'Afternoon': The period between noon and evening. *'Evening': This is a subjective term, the start of which is generally considered to be around the time one gets out of work (typically around Third Two, though it may be an hour or two earlier or later than that). Evening is technically considered to end at sunset, though many people use the term to refer to the entire period after work and before going to bed at night. (Of course, this refers only to standard work shifts; many people work different shifts, which may start and end at any time of day.) *'Sunset': The instant that the sun completely disappears below the horizon in the west. In First Village, this typically occurs around Third Three. Sunset may be considered the start of the nighttime period. *'Second Twilight': The period between sunset and dusk. Light begins to dim, but is not yet fully dark. *'Dusk': The end of Second Twilight, and the onset of night. In First Village, this typically occurs around Third Five. Some people also consider this the end of the evening, as opposed to sunset; though still others may say evening doesn't end until as late as midnight. *'Night': This technically refers to the entire time the sun is below the horizon, from sunset to sunrise, though it may also be considered to begin with the actual onset of darkness, after dusk. *'Midnight': The opposite of noon, and the start of a new 24-hour period. Like noon, midnight is said to occur at the same hour (First One) regardless of where one is in the world. At this time, the sun is at a point directly opposite First Village, on the other side of the world. From noon until midnight, the Land's rotation carries the village farther away from the sun; after this point, the rotation begins bringing it closer again. See also *Calendar of the Land *Clock *Time zones Category:Culture